Recreational water illness outbreaks are increasing, drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death, and pool chemical injuries account for nearly 5,000 emergency department visits each year.
To address aquatics safety and health problems like these, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the Model Aquatic Health Code, released in 2014 after seven years of development. The CDC is consistently improving the code, which is why this October aquatics professionals have the chance to vote on more than 150 proposed changes.
History of the MAHC
Before the MAHC, there were no national standards for aquatics because there is no national regulatory body for the sector. State and local regulators have struggled to update their codes to reflect new technologies and shifts in industry trends. The MAHC provides evidence-based guidance to state and local regulators when developing code around aquatics, promoting consistency in aquatics safety and health codes across the nation.
In addition, aquatics facility operators can use the MAHC as guidance for their facilities, including management, operations, policies, design, construction and maintenance.
Why the MAHC Vote Matters
The CDC updates the code regularly in response to new developments in science, technology and public health findings. To achieve this, it created the Conference for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC). This year there are more than 150 proposed changes to the MAHC covering topics including:
- Chlorine/bromine levels
- Secondary disinfection methods
- Contaminant response
- Contaminant disinfection
- Staff training
- Safety plans
- Daily inspections
- Chemical storage
- Signage
- Risk reduction
- Eliminating RWIs including Crypto
- Reducing disinfection byproducts and chloramines
- Improving facility air and water quality